<?xml version="1.0"?>
<ownershipDocument>

    <schemaVersion>X0206</schemaVersion>

    <documentType>3</documentType>

    <periodOfReport>2017-02-28</periodOfReport>

    <noSecuritiesOwned>0</noSecuritiesOwned>

    <issuer>
        <issuerCik>0000808450</issuerCik>
        <issuerName>NAVISTAR INTERNATIONAL CORP</issuerName>
        <issuerTradingSymbol>NAV</issuerTradingSymbol>
    </issuer>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001697835</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>Volkswagen Truck &amp; Bus GmbH</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>BRAWO PARK,</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2>WILLY-BRANDT-PLATZ 19</rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>BRAUNSCHWEIG</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>2M</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>38102</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription>GERMANY</rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>0</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>0</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>1</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>0</isOther>
            <officerTitle></officerTitle>
            <otherText></otherText>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001111708</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>VOLKSWAGEN AG</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>BERLINER RING 2</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2>WOLFSBURG, LOWER SAXONY</rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity></rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>2M</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>38440</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription>GERMANY</rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>0</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>0</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>1</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>0</isOther>
            <officerTitle></officerTitle>
            <otherText></otherText>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <nonDerivativeTable>
        <nonDerivativeHolding>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Common Stock, par value $0.10 per share</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>16242012</value>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>D</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F1"/>
                    <footnoteId id="F2"/>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeHolding>
    </nonDerivativeTable>

    <footnotes>
        <footnote id="F1">This statement is being filed jointly by Volkswagen Truck &amp; Bus GmbH (&quot;VW T&amp;B&quot;) and Volkswagen AG (&quot;Volkswagen&quot; and together with VW</footnote>
        <footnote id="F2">On September 5, 2016, the Issuer entered into a Stock Purchase Agreement (the &quot;Purchase Agreement&quot;) with VW T&amp;B, pursuant to which the Issuer agreed to issue and sell to VW T&amp;B an aggregate of 16,242,012 shares of its common stock, par value $0.10 per share (the &quot;Common Stock&quot;), for an aggregate purchase price of $255,974,109.12, or $15.76 per share, in a privately negotiated transaction. The transactions contemplated by the Purchase Agreement closed on February 28, 2017 (the &quot;Issuance Date&quot;), at which time the Common Stock was issued to VWT&amp;B.</footnote>
    </footnotes>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>Andreas Renschler, Volkswagen Truck &amp; Bus GmbH /s/ Andreas Renschler</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2017-03-09</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>Matthias Grundler, Volkswagen Truck &amp; Bus GmbH /s/ Matthias Grundler</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2017-03-09</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>Tim Haack, Attorney in fact for Volkswagen AG /s/ Tim Haack</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2017-03-09</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>Frederik Fragemann, Attorney in fact for Volkswagen AG /s/ Frederik Fragemann</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2017-03-09</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>
</ownershipDocument>
